Apr. 11, 2024, CRESTON, IOWA—The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met on Tuesday, Apr. 9, 2024, at 5:30 pm in the Administration Center board room.
The board held a public hearing regarding the CDL training range. No oral or written comments were received. Wayne Pantini, SWCC vice president of economic development, introduced Austin Smith of Garden & Associates LTD, who was in attendance at the meeting. According to Smith, 14 bids were received. Following discussion, the lowest bid, $708,323.50, from C&J Conservation of Creston, was approved by the SWCC board in a roll call vote. This bid came in lower than the engineer’s opinion of probable cost, at $869,849.
Next, the board held a public hearing regarding the fiscal year 2025 budget. No oral or written comments were received. Brandi Shay, SWCC chief financial officer, shared with the board, as noted in the proposed budget, the total proposed levy rate would increase 5.26 percent, moving from $0.97447 to $1.02568. The board approved the budget as presented.
Pantini then reported to the board that college administration had engaged Denovo Construction Solutions of West Des Moines, to design the building plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimate total cost for the SWCC Ag Building CDL training addition project. Pantini introduced Brian Crawford with Denovo Construction Solutions. Crawford provided the board with probable costs for the project of $380,876 with an owner contingency of $30,000. The approximate 1,860 square foot addition will be constructed on the south side of the Agricultural Sciences Center shop area.
The board approved the recommendations for SWCC Ag Building CDL training addition project and authorized the college to go out for bids on the project and set the time, date, and location for a public hearing on the project. With the boards’ approval, bids for the project will be due on May 8 and the public hearing for the project will take place on May 14.
Next on the agenda was the annual CEO evaluation. Dr. Tony Cass of Creston, SWCC board president, noted that at the request of Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC president, the CEO evaluation would be held in closed session.
In personnel, the board approved the employment of Dr. John Franklin of Creston as the college’s vice president of instruction. Franklin will begin this position effective July 1. He has been serving as the interim vice president of instruction at SWCC since May 2023.
Maureen Weaver, nursing chair and instructor, and Katie White, nursing instructor, provided the board with an overview of the software program, Assessment Technology Institute (ATI). The nursing program has been utilizing ATI for the past six years and has found the technology to be beneficial for student retention and student success.
Stoaks briefly spoke about the Community Colleges for Iowa Trustees Conference, scheduled for July 10-11, 2024, at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo. Stoaks and Cass both plan to attend.
Sue Stearns, board member from Woodburn and designated Community Colleges for Iowa representative, gave a brief report on the recent Community College for Iowa meeting.
The board then went into closed session.